Decrease In Spending On Table For Eastport South Manor School District

A draft of Eastport South Manor School District’s proposed 2015-16 budget calls for a nearly $150,000 decrease in spending, with 17 teaching positions eliminated, in an effort to comply with a state cap on tax levy increases.

The draft $91.1 million budget would decrease spending slightly from the current year’s $92.6 million budget, according to Assistant Superintendent Rich Snyder, although that amount could be revised by Board of Education members before they adopt a budget later this month. If the numbers stay where they are, the district would need only a simple majority of votes when the spending plan goes to a public vote on Tuesday, May 19.

Last week, at a Board of Education meeting, Mr. Snyder said he expects the district to receive about $35.5 million in state aid, an increase of 3.3 percent from the current year’s $34.4 million. Mr. Snyder said he calculates his numbers differently than the state does, however, because he took into consideration the fact that the district will not receive building aid on a number of projects throughout the district until the 2016-17 school year.

Mr. Snyder estimates a 2.28-percent increase from last year’s tax levy, to about $51.8 million, but Mr. Snyder said this will not require 60 percent of taxpayer votes for approval, because the increase includes construction-related items that are exempt from the cap. He said the tax rates came in higher than predicted, with Southampton Town finalized at $23.75 per $1,000 in assessed value, and Brookhaven Town at $249.99 per $100 in assessed value.

The decrease in spending was achieved through a handful of staffing changes, including eight teacher retirements, which decrease the budget line by $773,000, since only six of those teachers will be replaced, at lower salaries, according to Mr. Snyder.

He also said decreases in enrollment will result in eliminating five elementary school teachers, or $582,000, along with 2.6 special area teaching positions, valued at $260,000, and four teacher assistants, at $136,000. All of these adjustments bring instruction spending down by $1.75 million. The final calculations show an overall instructional spending decrease of $932,000, or 3.7 percent, from $12.4 million to $12.2 million.

The district is also cutting about $237,000 from the clerical, aide, contractual and BOCES services required for next year, a 1.9-percent decrease, which brings spending down from roughly $12.4 million to $12.2 million.

Major increases include a 17.8-percent increase in health services, totaling $53,000. The audio/visual spending is also up $18,700, or 43 percent, which includes the purchase of system and equipment upgrades and related materials.

Taxpayers will be able to voice concerns at a budget hearing scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, at Eastport South Manor Junior-Senior High School on Moriches-Middle Island Road in Manorville.